Woodbury, Pineo cite PCEDC success stories

    BOWERBANK — Dr. Ken Woodbury joked that he’s “all about the money” when it comes to economic development.
    While he didn’t dwell on the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council’s request for an increase in their county allocation for next year, he did tell commissioners that their annual investment was a sound one.

    PCEDC has requested $105,500 for 2014, up from $100,000 last year.
    An Excel spreadsheet distributed at the Nov. 19 county commissioners’ meeting highlighted some of the success stories:
A $1.5 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant for the Dover-Foxcroft Riverfront Redevelopment project
A $200,000 EPA brownfields grant to remove hazardous materials from Central Hall in Dover-Foxcroft
A $340,000 Community Development Block Grant for Milo to build new sidewalks and install new lighting
A $300,000 grant to repair the hull and keel on the Katahdin steamship in Greenville
A $60,000 grant to help Elaine’s Cafe and Bakery in Milo purchase kitchen equipment
A $45,000 grant to assist Moc’s Motorsports expansion in Brownville
    Woodbury said that the Riverfront Redevelopment Project is a “very complex $11.5 million project with a lot of moving parts, and I’m trying to keep them on track. Right now, we have about $100,000 worth of data equipment sitting in PCEDC’s office because we can’t place them in the mill until some of the construction is out of the way.”
    So there will be a data center in the PCEDC headquarters temporarily, which was described as the size of a “large telephone booth” that will be installed in the Riverfront complex by early next year. “It has to be up and running by the end of February, so USDA can sign off on it (the grant),” Woodbury said.
    The $340,000 Milo grant, which is actually an extension of a 2009 façade improvement grant, will give the community “the look we originally wanted,” Woodbury said.
    Woodbury also said that he is working with a local LLC to establish a day care center in the vacant half of the Heritage Building in downtown Milo and a residential day care unit in the Milo industrial park.
    The community development director also revealed that the Wildwoods Restaurant in Brownville plans to enclose the front entrance and patio area and expand the kitchen area. “I’ll be helping her (the owner) fill out a grant application,” Woodbury said.
    Brownville Town Manager Matt Pineo, who is also vice president of the PCEDC executive committee, thanked the commissioners’ for their continued support of the agency. With the grants approved so far this year, Pineo said this means “$19 back for every one dollar invested (by the county).”
    Pineo added that the agency has ambitious goals for 2014-17 including an emphasis on helping existing businesses as well as attracting new ones to the county.
    PCEDC’s annual meeting will be held on Monday, Dec. 2 at the Bear’s Den in Dover-Foxcroft.